LaGuardia Shut After Air Canada Flight Collision. How New York Flights Are Affected

LaGuardia Airport is facing major chaos after an Air Canada Express regional jet collided with a fire truck while landing on Runway 4 late Sunday night, on March 22. The CRJ‑900 aircraft, arriving from Montreal, struck the vehicle shortly before midnight, killing the pilot and co‑pilot and injuring dozens of passengers and first responders. Following the crash, federal authorities ordered a full ground stop as emergency crews secured the runway and investigators began work, forcing one of New York City's busiest airports to halt operations and triggering widespread travel chaos.

Also Read: Indian Railways Fine Caterer Rs 5000 After They Failed To Serve Morning Tea On Duronto Express

How Many Flights Are Cancelled?

Flight cancellations are mounting rapidly. As per Flightradar24, 271 flights are cancelled at LaGuardia, affecting both arrivals and departures. As per Business Insider, thousands of passengers are stranded, while airlines divert flights to nearby airports such as John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport.

Photo: LaGuardia Airport Website

What The Official LaGuardia Website Shows This Morning

According to flight information published on LaGuardia Airport's official website, the shutdown is clearly reflected in the morning schedule. Up until 12:00 pm local time on March 23, nearly all flights are shown as cancelled, except for an 11:30 am Delta Airlines flight to Nassau.

Photo: LaGuardia Airport Website

As of writing, some flights scheduled after 12:00 pm are showing as “scheduled” or “on time” on LaGuardia's official website, especially after 2:00 pm. This information comes solely from the airport's own departure listings and indicates a tentative return to normal operations later in the day, though airlines continue to caution passengers to check directly for updates.

Photo: LaGuardia Airport Website

What Authorities Are Saying

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates LaGuardia Airport, confirmed that the aircraft collided with an Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicle that was responding to a separate incident on the airfield.

In a statement carried by The New York Times and Al Jazeera, the authority said:

“The airport is currently closed to facilitate the response and allow for a thorough investigation.” Federal investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are now on site as the inquiry continues.

Also Read: Watch: IndiGo Pilot Shares Full-Circle Moment After Flying Her Grandmother

How Busy Is LaGuardia On A Normal Day?

The scale of the disruption is significant given LaGuardia's usual traffic levels. According to figures cited by the Port Authority, the airport typically handles around 900 combined arrivals and departures every day, serving nearly 50,000 passengers daily.

More About LaGuardia And New York's Airport Network

LaGuardia is one of three major commercial airports serving New York City, alongside John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). While JFK serves as the city's primary international gateway and Newark functions as a major hub for United Airlines, LaGuardia focuses largely on domestic and short‑haul routes, operating under strict perimeter rules.

The airport is a major base for Delta Air Lines and also hosts American Airlines, United Airlines, JetBlue, Southwest, Air Canada, WestJet, and several regional carriers. Despite a recent multi‑billion‑dollar redevelopment that modernized its terminals, Monday's incident highlights how quickly operations can grind to a halt at a high‑density airport when a single runway is taken out of service.